We’ve long been known for our focus on optimising work environments and creating inspiring workspaces. Our emphasis on the ‘who’ as well as the ‘what’ has led to moving on from our Tory Street offices and showroom, to a larger, multi-functional, client-first space in renowned design centre, The Woolstore on Thorndon Quay.
Since 1963, Europlan have been in the commercial office furniture sector. From our beginnings as a designer and manufacturer of steel office storage (mainly filing cabinets and lockers), our New Lynn, Auckland facility steadily expanded (both our commercial office furniture range and locations) to service clients across New Zealand.
For the last 30 years, Europlan has had offices and showrooms in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. A focus on local design and manufacture has been crucial to our ongoing success and meeting the needs of our clients. These days, design is shared across our 3 locations and manufacture is taken care of in Auckland and Christchurch, while the Wellington office and showroom is key to servicing government contracts, private sector clients and design savvy businesses.
Since 2010, Europlan has been the exclusive dealer for Haworth (a global leader in commercial furniture and sustainable manufacturing practices), enabling us to offer full commercial fit outs to our clients.
So, why move from Te Aro to Pipitea?
Since 2014, Europlan has had ‘live’ showrooms in both Wellington and Christchurch, supplying the furniture to each city’s BizDojo co-working spaces, where resident businesses got to use Europlan products throughout their working day.
“The concept worked well for a long time,
but it became time to better service Europlan’s clients,
by providing a dedicated space that was agile enough to configure
customised office settings, that better reflected our mix of diverse clients”
Paul van Dorsten, Managing Director
Europlan has found that clients really need to come and experience the product range in real life, and at the same time get ideas for the problems they can solve in their own workspace. The bespoke space at The Woolstore also allows for client hosting and a full immersion experience of the wonderful world that is Europlan. By moving to Thorndon Quay, Europlan is more accessible to its government clients (good parking is a bonus too). And being closer to home for many in our team is no bad thing either!
Commercial office furniture at The Woolstore
The new space has allowed the Wellington showroom to elevate its offering, and not just showcase a co-working space solution, but workplace design for all sorts of different companies and company cultures. The nimble space is ever evolving with no fixed items on the showroom floor. Product groupings are able to be curated regularly to reflect a client’s design requirements, new workplace design trends or unexpected product combinations and uses.
Of course, hero products are easily found, as well as meeting room options, open plan workspace configurations, soft seating, enclosed meeting spaces and multi-purpose products.
What makes The Woolstore special is its focus on showcasing great design businesses within an enviable heritage setting. We have consciously developed a modern look and feel that is sympathetic to the heritage building we reside in. Occupying a space within a retail design destination, allows us to take inspiration from the small community of neighbouring businesses and collaborate and partner with complementary stores. An unexpected win!
”It’s a great environment to be located in.
We’re loving the community of businesses we now get to
hang out with and the opportunity to mix and mingle with
other Woolstore residents in our shared spaces.
The Woolstore really supports its tenants with great signage and visibility”
Emma Bell-Norris, Brand & Marketing Manager
Workplace design theory in action
Our team has worked hard to ensure that modern workplace design principles are foremost in our new space, and that Europlan’s wide product range is available for clients to experience, no matter their budget. You’ll find high end furniture mixed with plug and play products, a mix of hard and soft spaces, suitable for small or large scale fitouts.
“Accessories and product combinations are important to
remove barriers around the decision-making process
– seeing things in situ is often an easier way to connect with items
and understand how they could work for you. Clients love the
simplicity of our best practice work settings too.”
Tim Elliott, Workplace Solutions Manager
Not only does the space cater to current Wellington clients, but it is flexible enough to adapt to the types of clients and partners that we aim to secure in the future. And this innovative showroom is the stepping stone to get there. As experts in workplace design, Europlan have made some smart decisions about fabrics, finishes and product combinations to make the showroom a dynamic and inspiring space.
More than anything though, it’s been the fresh vibe and new opportunities that change can bring, that has really got the Wellington Europlan team buzzing.
“I feel like this is exactly where we need to be right now.
I’m really proud to show people through our new space,
and they love spending time here”
Georgina Brough, Workplace Solutions Specialist
